FABLE XVIII
by Unknown · from Favourite Fables in Prose and Verse
Adapted Version
A clever Fox lived. He liked to play tricks. Fox thought of a fun joke. He wanted to trick his friend, Stork. This would be fun for him. He made a plan.
Fox asked Stork to dinner. "Please come to my house," he said. Stork was happy to hear this. She said, "Yes, I will come."
Stork came to Fox's house. Fox put food on the table. It was only soup. The soup was in flat, wide dishes. Stork had a very long bill. She could not eat the soup. Her bill was too long. She felt hungry.
Fox ate his soup very fast. He slurped it all up. "Do you like the food?" he asked Stork. "Eat enough, friend?" Fox smiled. Stork could not eat.
Stork knew Fox played a trick. She did not show her feelings. "Yes, the food is good," she said. "Thanks for dinner, Fox." Stork asked Fox. "Please come to my house for dinner soon."
Fox could not say no to Stork. He said, "Yes, I will come." He thought fun. He would visit Stork soon.
The day came for the visit. Fox went to Stork's house. He knocked on her door. Stork opened the door. "Welcome, Fox, come in," she said.
Stork put food on the table. It was minced meat. The meat was in tall, thin bottles. Fox had a short nose. He could not reach the meat. He felt very hungry now.
Stork ate her food easily. Her long bill went inside the bottle. Fox tried to eat. He licked the outside of the bottle. Some sauce was there. He could not get the meat.
Stork smiled at Fox. "You look hungry," she said. "I hope you eat well like I did." Then she said, "If you make a joke, you must take a joke."
Fox hung his head down. He felt very sad. He felt a little bad. He learned a lesson that day. Playing tricks is not always fun.
Original Story
FABLE XVIII.
THE FOX AND THE STORK.
The Fox, though in general more inclined to roguery than wit, had once a strong inclination to play the wag with his neighbour the Stork. He accordingly invited her to dinner in due form. But when she came to the table, the Stork found it consisted entirely of different soups, served in broad, shallow dishes, so that she could only dip the end of her bill in them, but could not possibly satisfy her hunger. The Fox lapped them up very readily, and every now and then addressing himself to his guest, desired to know how she liked her entertainment, hoped that everything was to her liking, and protested he was very sorry to see her eat so sparingly.
The Stork, perceiving she was jested with, took no notice, but pretended to like every dish extremely; and, at parting, pressed the Fox so earnestly to return her visit that he could not, in civility, refuse.
The day arrived, and he repaired to his appointment. But, to his great dismay, he found the dinner was composed of minced meat, served up in long, narrow-necked bottles; so that he was only tantalized with the sight of what it was impossible for him to taste. The Stork thrust in her long bill, and helped herself very plentifully; then, turning to Reynard, who was eagerly licking the outside of a jar where some sauce had been spilled, "I am very glad," said she, smiling, "that you appear to have so good an appetite. I hope you will make as hearty a dinner at my table as I did the other day at yours." The Fox hung down his head, and looked very much displeased. "Nay, nay!" said the Stork; "don't pretend to be out of humour about the matter; they that cannot take a jest should never make one."
Story DNA
Moral
Those who play tricks on others should be prepared to have the same tricks played on them.
Plot Summary
The mischievous Fox invites the Stork to dinner and serves soup in shallow dishes, knowing the Stork cannot eat it with her long bill. The Stork, realizing the trick, politely invites the Fox to her home in return. At the Stork's dinner, she serves minced meat in long, narrow-necked bottles, making it impossible for the Fox to eat. The Stork then delivers the moral, teaching the humiliated Fox that those who play tricks should be prepared to receive them.
Themes
Emotional Arc
amusement to comeuppance
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
This fable is a classic example of an Aesopic fable, which often feature anthropomorphic animals to convey moral lessons. The specific author is unknown, but it's part of a long tradition of such tales.
Plot Beats (11)
- The Fox, inclined to mischief, decides to play a trick on his neighbor, the Stork.
- The Fox invites the Stork to dinner.
- At dinner, the Fox serves only soup in broad, shallow dishes, which the Stork cannot eat with her long bill.
- The Fox readily eats his meal and feigns concern for the Stork's lack of appetite.
- The Stork, realizing she is being mocked, pretends to enjoy the meal and invites the Fox to dinner in return.
- The Fox, unable to refuse politely, accepts the invitation.
- On the day of the return visit, the Fox arrives at the Stork's home.
- The Stork serves minced meat in long, narrow-necked bottles, which the Fox cannot reach with his snout.
- The Stork easily eats her meal, while the Fox can only lick spilled sauce.
- The Stork, smiling, reminds the Fox of his earlier trick, stating that those who cannot take a jest should not make one.
- The Fox hangs his head in displeasure, having learned his lesson.
Characters
The Fox
A medium-sized, slender fox with a sleek, reddish-brown coat. His body is agile and built for cunning movements. He has a bushy tail, tipped with white, that he often carries high.
Attire: None, as he is an animal.
Wants: To amuse himself by playing pranks on others, to feel superior through his cleverness.
Flaw: His own pride and inability to gracefully accept a taste of his own medicine; he is a poor sport.
Starts by playing a trick, then experiences the same trick played back on him, learning (or at least being shown) that those who cannot take a jest should not make one. He is left displeased but presumably wiser.
Cunning, mischievous, playful (in a mean-spirited way), ungracious, and easily displeased when the joke is on him.
The Stork
A tall, elegant stork with long, slender legs and a long, pointed bill. Her plumage is predominantly white, with black flight feathers on her wings.
Attire: None, as she is an animal.
Wants: To reciprocate the Fox's ill-mannered jest with a lesson in kind, to uphold her own dignity.
Flaw: Initially, her physical inability to eat from shallow dishes, but she turns this into a strength.
Initially the victim of a prank, she cleverly turns the tables and becomes the one to deliver a moral lesson, demonstrating her intelligence and composure.
Patient, observant, dignified, clever, and capable of subtle revenge. She is not easily flustered.
Locations
The Fox's Den Dining Area
A rustic, somewhat untidy dining area within a fox's den, likely dug into an earthen bank. The space is simple, perhaps with a rough-hewn wooden table and benches. The atmosphere is initially cordial but quickly becomes mischievous.
Mood: Initially welcoming, then subtly mocking and frustrating for the Stork.
The Fox serves the Stork soup in shallow dishes, knowing she cannot eat it, thus playing a trick on her.
The Stork's Nest Dining Area
A dining area set up near or within a large stork's nest, likely high up on a tall structure like a chimney or a large tree, offering an open-air setting. The setup is practical for a stork, but impractical for a fox.
Mood: Initially polite, then subtly retaliatory and satisfying for the Stork, frustrating for the Fox.
The Stork serves the Fox minced meat in narrow-necked bottles, returning the trick and teaching him a lesson.